Air relief valve for heating systems



S. A.- JOHNSON ET Al..-

'AIR RELIEF VALVE FOR HEATING SYSTEMS Sept. 29,1931.

Filed Jan. 14, 1950 Ma i-j z 5 Y 7 J 9 0 v mm. m a J 7 .3 a E w c m X 4 m 3 mm 51m fl 7 a w w 7 Y J w Y w a" 1"" M II Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- svnn' A, JOHNSON, or naooxmm, xnw YORK, AND raa'nx o. mssavr, or warrant, new JERSEY AIR VALVE HIEQA'LJIING SYSTEMS Application filed January 14, 1930. Serial No. 420,885.

This invention relates to air relief valves for radiators of'heating systems and consists of an improved design and structural arrangement adapted for more effectively relieving the system of entrapped air than the devices as heretofore used for the purpose, thereby to insure the maximum heating efficiency.

In the preferred, embodiment of the features' of the present invention there'is employed a; heat actuated valve member operative to seal the device or air passage automatically upon the displacement of the'air by the heating medium and associated there- 5 with there is provided an air check or relief valve in an arrangement yielding to internal pressures within the valve device and operative to seal the airpassage against the intake of air whereby upon recession of the heating medium a vacuous condition will be established contributing to an improved circulation of the heating medium as will be readily understood. Further desirable features of the improved device consists of an improved design of bellows type heat actuated valve offering enlarged areas to the action of the heating medium to be quickly responsive thereto; the provision of a body of porous material through which the exhaust vapors are passed and operative to filter out and condense the water orliquid content and further in the arrangement of a deflecting surface associated with the intake opening to provide for more effective separation of the water the former to the heating system.

The foregoing and other improved features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters are applied to the correspond in parts in the several views.

n the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central, vertical, sectional view of the air relief valve embodying the features of the present invention.

Fi 2 is a horizontal, sectional view thereof ta en on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3- is a similar view taken on line 3-3 of 0 Fig. 1. I

or other heating system. The circular side ed with a venting passage 7 communicating from the steam or vapor and the return of.

Fig. 4 is a partial, vertical sectional view ofthe upper portion of the valve showing a desirable modification of the aircheck valve.

In the approved structural arrangement of the present invention as here shown, the air 3 relief valve comprises a tubular casing or shell 1 having a tubular stem portion 2 thereon, the latter being externally threaded at 3 for attachment to the radiator of a steam wall of the shell 1 is internally threaded at 5 upwardly from its bottom open end portion and has its upper end portion formed with an upper horizontalwall 6 centrally providwith an upper outlet chamber formed within a'hollow cap member 8 fitted upon a shoulder or annular extension 9 of the wall 6. The cap is provided with outlet openings 10 in its side wall portion. A

For checking the outward flow or venting of the relief valve device, a valve member is provided in an arrangement to be responsive to the heat of the heating system, such as steam, and as hereshown this outflow valve consists of an expansible metal bellows 14 secured by means of a base flange 15 to a supporting member 16 formed with a lower flange portion threaded to engage the internal thread 5 of the casing member and formed with an inner chamber forming portion 18 extending upwardly within the bellows to provide an enlarged heat radiating surface. To the upper flange 19 of the bellows there is fitted an upper closing disc 20 having a cen- 35 tral valve extension or pin 21 axially aligned with the venting passage 7 the latter being v formed at itsupper end with a reduced an tapered portion forming a valve seat for the tapered or conical upper end of the pin 21. The chamber formed by the bellows 14 in conjunction with the closed wall of member 18 and the disc 20 is filled vwith a suitable expansible liquid, as for instance alcohol. As a result, upon heating of the liquid, the expansion will operate to raise the disc 19 and its valve pin 21 thereby to close the venting passage 7. The'lower flange of the supportmg member 16, as shown, is provided withopenings or passages 22 communicating with yielding valve, or air check, positioned at the, upper portion of the device and arranged to of the heating medium.

As will be readily understood, the automatically operating ex ansible valve will maintain the valve close throughout the period of the circulation of the heating medium. Upon cooling of the system, considered with relation to the structure insofar as described,

a vacuous condition would be established in the radiator and valve device and with the cooling of the expansible valve arrangement and resulting opening of-the valve 21, the action would be to suck in air through the venting passage. In "accordance with a further feature of the present invention this action, under the conditions referred to, 1s-

prevented by the provision of an outwardly close the outer end of the venting passage 7 in a positive-manner against the intake of air and to be yieldable to the internal pressures to allow for the air elimination.

The structural means for this purpose, as shown, comprises a compressible rubber, teat type valve member 25 havin a self closing outlet opening 26 and secured in position to cover the venting passage 7 by being fitted over a retaining flange 27 of,a central boss portion of the wall ortion 6.0f the casing.

To further contrlbute to the effectiveness of the device, the space or chamber underlying the expansible valve is filled with a suitable porous material, as shown at 30, for instance metallic chips or shavings of non-corrosive metal such as bronze, brass or chromesteel. sin the instance of steam heating the porous material functions to filter out the water content with a condensing action to separate the water while allowing the upward I passage of the air therethrough.

The bottom of the casing, as shown, is closed by a bottom wall member or disc 32 having threaded engagement with the casin and formed, in accordance with the present invention, with a crowned or conical upper surface adapted to deflect upwardly the steam entering through the stem portion 2 and to provide a marginal depression or groove for the collection of the water and to facilit'atethe return thereof to the system.

In the operation of our improved air relief valve, the entrapped air will be initially expelled through the venting passage 7 to escape through the outlet openings 10 under the action of using pressures of the heating system which, as will be readily understood,

opens the teat or outwardly valve 25. Upon washer 41 surroundin the upper end of the thermal actiiated valve 21 will automatically .seal the device against the intake of air and accordingly a vacuous condition within the radiator will be established upon the drop in pressure andoperative to quickly reestablish thev circulation of the heating medium with resulting hi h heating efliciency.

While we ave shown and described an approved embodiment of the features of the present invention, it will be understood that varied modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

As illustrative thereof, we have shown in Fig. 4, a desirable modified construction of the air check valye arrangement, which as shown, comprises a valve cap and guide member 35 having threaded engagement with a wall extension .36 of the casing, is provided with air escape passages 37 and a central guide bore 38. Fitted within the lower end of the guide bore is the pin 39 of a vertically operating valve 40 arranged to engage a perforated venting passage 7. he valve member, as shown, is of inverted cup formation providing an enlarged pressure area and is normally held against the seat or washer 41 by means of a light coil spring42 retained under compression between the guide member and the upper surface of the valve member 40. Adjustment of the spring pressure may be effected by the thread adjustment of the guide member as will be readily understood.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. An air relief valve device for radiators of heating systems comprising a suitable casing provided with an'intake opening and a venting passage, a thermal responsive valve adapted for automatically closing the venting passage consisting of a supporting member within the casing, an expansible bellows carried by the supporting member and provided with a valve positioned to close the venting passage, said supporting member being formed wlth a by-pass opening for the passage of the fluid medium to the venting passage and havin a chamber forming portion extending wit in the bellows and open to receive the heating medium to provide an 'enlar ed heat radiatin surface and an expansi 1e fluid containe within the chamber formed by the bellows and the supporting member, substantially as described.

2. An air relief valve device for radiators of heating systems comprising a suitable casing provided with an intake opening and a venting passage, a thermal responsive valve adapted for automatically Cl0B1I1g the vent- 130 ing passage, air check valve operatively associated with the venting passage to be yieldable under venting ressure and to seal said passage to intake air and a bed of porous material interposed between the t ermal responsive valve and the substantially as described. y 3. An air relief valve device for radiators of heating systems comprising asuitable easintake opening,

ing provided with an lntake opening and a venting passage, a thermal responsive valve adapted forautomatically closing the venting passage and a body of orous metallic packing interposed between t e intake opening and the valve 0 erative to condense the water content of t e vapor passed therethrough.

4. An air relief valve device for radiators of heating systems comprising a suitable casing provided with an intake opening and a venting passage, a thermal responsive valve adapted for. automatically closing the venting passage and a body of porous metallic packing interposed between the intake opening and the valve for condensing of the water content of the va or and a member positioned adjacent the inta e opening and formed with a conical deflecting surface positioned to defleet the vapors upwardly through the casing.

5. An air relief valve device for radiators of heating systems comprising a suitable casing provided with an intake opening and I venting passage, a thermal res onsive valve adapted for automatically ing passage, a eompressih 0 rubber teat valve secured at the outer end of the venting sage and adapted to allow free venting o the vapor and to seal against air intake, at body of porous metallic material inter between the intake openin r and the thermal operating valve for con ensing thewater content of the vapor and a bottom wallmemher for the casin 'having a conical up r surface positioned or upwardly deflecting the va or enterin the intake opening, substantia ly as deser i lied.

Signed at, Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York this 6th day of January A. D. 1930.

SVEN A. JOHNSON.

C. RISSELT.

closing the vent- 

